Secret Admirer
by WriteEditLife
Summary: When Veronica Lodge volunteered to run the annual Riverdale High Valentine's Day carnation fundraiser, she had no idea it would lead to her discovery of a secret admirer. But is the mystery man as clever as he thinks he is? Or will Veronica figure it out before the romantic holiday is over?


Veronica Lodge was rather pleased with herself. After a rather restful night's sleep, she had percolated on a wonderful and festive idea. After the success of her confirmation had been tainted by the knowledge that her father had paid the Southside Serpents to cut off General Pickens head and the resignation of Mayor McCoy, she knew she would need to work even harder to unite the Northsiders and Southsiders at Riverdale High. If this isn't a real-world experience for the Secretary-General of her Model UN group, then nothing is.

Luckily for her, Valentine's Day was right around the corner, a wonderful distraction for the students and are great opportunity to spread love and appreciation to her peers who all felt unheard given the recent turmoil in the town. Veronica quickly ran her fingers through her dark raven hair, picked a hint of lint from her maroon top, and smoothed out the small wrinkle in her sleek black skirt, as she sat in the back of her family's town car on the way to school. Her legendary yet simple pearl strand hung around her neck, just beneath her high collar. Her dark red lips matched her shirt, her usual smile on her lips. The picture of perfection.

As the now familiar brick building came into view, Veronica felt a small pressured in her chest, like a weight had been placed there, trying to prepare her for a tense fight. She took a deep, cleansing breath to calm the feeling, and raised her chin before she elegantly stepped from the car after it came to stop directly in front of the main stairs to the school. Veronica expertly walked up the stairs in her favorite designer heels, pushing through the main doors and walking down the hall like she owned the place. The clacking of her heels on the tile floor drew everyone's eyes to her, which Veronica pretended not to see, as her brown eyes were focused on what lay just around the corner at the end of the hall.

Veronica quickened her pace with confidence as she turned on her heel around the corner and a triumphant smile as she saw the unmistakable figure of Cheryl Blossom standing just outside the student lounge with a stack of papers in her hands. The fiery redhead didn't look up as Veronica approached, so Veronica simply stopped one step in front of her, lowered her gaze to focus on Cheryl, swept her black tresses back across her shoulder and fixed a polite smile to her face.

Cheryl was barely leaning against the wall, her trademark long hair falling slightly into her face, her fire engine red, claw-like fingernails swiftly moving through the stack of papers she held, her eyes fixed to the top corner, silently counting. After a few moments of silence, Veronica heaved a small, but overly apparent sigh as she shifted her weight carefully from her left to her right. Cheryl's fingers paused for a fraction of a second, and Veronica could feel her eye roll and tried not to smirk at the level of drama queen side-eye she was currently receiving from the Blossom Barbie. Cheryl continued counting in silence for another moment, then without warning plucked a group of papers from the top of the stack in her fingers and shoved them towards Veronica, who took them without flinching.

"Principal Weatherbee approved your flyer idea, of course," Cheryl quipped in an overtly sarcastic tone, as she clutched the rest of the flyers inside her left hand close to her chest. "I took the liberty of making 100 copies to start with," Cheryl continued with a sassy glare, as though speaking with a misbehaving child. "Since you convinced Weatherbee to help me in spearheading this ancient tradition and couldn't be bothered to be on time, you get to pass most of them out yourself!" Cheryl finished, shooting Veronica a beaming fake smile, before turning on her heel and walking off towards the cafeteria.

Veronica's polite smile fell the second fascist Barbie turned her back, and her gaze fell to the now familiar flyer in her hands, slowly taking in every detail as the sound of Cheryl's heels faded behind her. She took a few steps forward to lean against the wall Cheryl vacated, but much closer to the stairwell. The flyer had a simple white background, with an elaborate "Happy Valentine's Day" written across the top in large, red, cursive lettering. Underneath was a rather boring text with a lighter shade of red explaining that the school would be hosting a fundraiser to fund the annual spring musical for the Riverdale theater department. For five dollars, students could purchase a red rose and send them to another student, to be passed out during third-period classes on Valentine's Day. 'All students are encouraged to participate" was printed at the very bottom in bold black lettering.

Veronica's eyes ran over the words of the flyer, examining every inch, rather proud that she had thrown the idea together to both bring new life to the fundraiser and create the ad herself. She smiled to herself, remembering Cheryl's face of looking like she had just sucked on a lemon when Weatherbee told her Veronica would be handing the management of the fundraiser this year. She should know better than to cross a Lodge.

Veronica pulled one flyer up between her fingers to hold it out in front of her, imagining how to would look hung up on the wall. She was broken from her musings when she was startled by a new voice. "Seriously, five dollars for flowers?" spoke the voice with a questionable tone laced with both curiosity and disgust. Veronica glanced to her left and saw face of Toni Topaz, a recent southside transfer with pink strands of hair and heels even higher than Cheryl's, although standing on the last step of the stairwell as she currently was made her taller than Veronica.

Veronica tilted her head and gave the newcomer a pointed look. "It's for school spirit," Veronica explained slowly.

"Yeah, well I think me and mine have already seen enough of your school spirit, Lodge" Toni shot back playfully, as she crossed her arms over her chest and returned Veronica's pointed stare.

Veronica sighed but kept the frustration off her face. "Fair enough, but Reggie annoys everyone," she continued with a bit of dramatic flair, before gesturing back to the flyer. "Think of this as a fresh start. A way to show some appreciation for your new school," Veronica finished, flashing Toni another winning smile to seal the deal.

Toni paused. "Fine. But I'll show appreciation for this school by utilizing the working computer lab of the state of the art photography lab," Toni answered, tapping the film camera hanging loosely around her neck. "If you northsiders want to drop five whole bucks on flowers that will be dead by the end of the day that's your business."

Veronica huffed a bit. "I see. Well, you can thank Cheryl for that one. She has creative control over the spring musical and insisted on the price tag to help justify her wardrobe budget." Veronica shrugged as though this was typical Cheryl behavior and went back to examining the flyer again.

Toni's eyes rose at that, but she just stepped off the stairs and turned left down the hall, in the same direction Cheryl had gone only moments ago. Veronica waited another moment before pushing off the way, careful to secure the flyers in her hands and strutted off towards the student lounge. Time to get the word out.

Veronica entered the student lounge and was delighted to find that Betty, Archie and Jughead had appeared to snag their usual red couch even with the influx of newer students. The Bulldogs had congregated closer the vending machines and a group of southsiders were sitting near the back of the room. She recognized Fangs and the tall serpent from Archie's house and the Whyte Wyrm, but she didn't know his name.

Betty and Jughead appeared to be in the middle of a discussion about what a Blue & Gold Valentine's Day edition would be like, with Betty being adamant that it wasn't just cheesy romance and Jughead still angry that the paper had actually been suspended and their rights as students were being infringed upon.

She perched herself on the arm of the couch closest to Archie, who was watching Betty and Jughead's interaction with mild befuddlement. He immediately sat up straight and flashed a smile at seeing Veronica. "Hey babe," Archie greeted her before noticing the papers in her hands. "What's that?" He asked.

"Oh, these are just the new flyers for the Valentine's Day fundraiser I'm running this year Archiekins," Veronica replied cheerfully, selecting a flyer carefully from the stack and handing one to her boyfriend. Veronica also placed one in Betty's outstretched hand.

"You know that Valentine's Day is just a stupid holiday created by the flower and chocolate industries to capitalize on people's vulnerable emotions to make a profit!" Jughead interjected loudly and angrily, going on another rant against the establishment, clutching his beanie tightly on his head in frustration as Betty, Archie and Veronica all rolled their eyes at his predictability.

Betty suddenly leaned in close to Jughead, breaking him from his rant as he glanced at Betty's close proximity and went silent at the loving smile that had appeared on her face. "So, you won't be getting me a rose then, Juggie?" Betty quipped, tilting her head slightly and batting her eyelashes slowly at him. Jughead's whole demeanor changed from anger and tense to calm as he seemed to melt at her question, taking her hands in his without looking away from her smile. "I will if that's what you want, Betts" Jughead answered softly, giving her a loving look and a genuine smile.

'But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about having the capitalism of buying it shoved down my throat," Jughead quipped as he rounded on Veronica with a harsh glance, which caused Betty and even Archie to fight to suppress smirks as Veronica rolled her eyes and looked to the ceiling with a heavy sigh.

"I mean I understand the symbolism, but red roses? Seriously?" Jughead continued gesturing wildly at the flyer. "Could we at least try to be a little less cliché for once?" Jughead glanced at the others for a reaction.

"It might be cliché, but it's also romantic Jug," Betty answered quickly. "I for one would love to get a rose from the man I love on the most romantic day of the year!" Betty stated, the true happiness dripping from her tone of voice as her smile brightened. "Right V?" Betty looked back to Veronica as her words made both Jughead and Archie wince.

Veronica paused as she cleared her throat, throwing a quick and nervous glance to Jughead before looking to Betty. "Actually, I'm with Jughead on this one," She quipped confidently, not fazed by the three looks of shock and opened mouths she was receiving from her friends.

"What?! But you're organizing the fundraiser V!" Betty practically shouted at her, rising to her feet with a look of pure incredulity on her face. Veronica quickly put up her hands in her own defense, trying to physically hold back the fury of the blonde before her. "Don't get me wrong, B. I love the concept and I am a sucker for a romantic gesture," Veronica continued quickly with a knowing smile to Archie.

"But not red roses. Jughead is right. It's overdone. Everyone and I do mean everyone gets red roses on Valentine's day." Veronica stated, gesturing her hands around to emphasize her point. "Buying a red rose and giving it to your loved one is what everyone does. It's expected. But that doesn't tell me anything. There is no thought put into it. I adore getting a beautiful flower as much as the next girl, B. Just not a generic red rose that everyone else is going to get." Veronica finished dramatically, clasping her hands together with another sigh. Archie was looking confused at her confession, Betty was in disbelief and even Jughead seemed to be stumped on a response, although he did look a tad bit impressed with her words. "Then why are you helping? He asked slowly, truly curious to the answer.

Veronica leveled her gaze at her beanie clad friend. "Because this event is about uniting the school and raising money for the spring musical," Veronica responded coolly. "My personal preferences aside, it's a great idea to spread peace and love around in this time of town turmoil. And yes, while it may be a commercially created holiday Jughead, it is always an incredibly lucrative one, hence the fundraiser." Veronica finished, not feeling the need to justify her actions, but at least maybe Betty would get off her case about it.

"So, you don't actually want a rose?" Archie asked lowly, looking towards Veronica with a confused stare. "Because I will totally get you one, Ronnie. I meant what I said at your confirmation and with you running this fundraiser it's a great way for me to show my support too." Archie's words rushed out of his mouth, as Veronica's hand came up to cup his cheek.

"You're so good, Archie. I love that you want to support me, but I just explained my stance on the situation." Veronica answered softly. Without another word, she rose from her perch on the couch arm and turned back to the face her friends. "I'm going to post these around the school before the next bell rings, so I'll see you guys in Chemistry," Veronica said before turning to walk back out into the hallway. Betty and Jughead just stared after her before glancing at each other. Archie had been staring at the same spot in the floor in front of him since Veronica's answer to his question. The silence was broken when Jughead started a new rant about Veronica's point of turning a commercially successful holiday into a for-profit fundraiser to encourage the annual financial corruption of teenagers.

None of them noticed the boy in the back of the room who had been watching their interaction over the edge of his chemistry textbook, which was perched on his thighs as he leaned back into a chair. His eyes following the raven-haired Veronica as she walked back into the hall and even after she disappeared from sight.

A week later, the day had come. Valentine's Day had finally come to Riverdale and Veronica couldn't hide her excitement. She had scourged her favorite stores for the perfect outfit, as she would be personally handing out the roses to her fellow students today. Veronica had decided on a fitted gown of muted red, with a high neckline up to her collar and a slit about halfway up her thighs. Her signature pearls falling into place and not clashing with her look. Veronica's lips were painted with a light shade of pink, preferring the color of her dress to pop with the unmistakable color of her red Louboutin's.

Veronica walked with her head held high as she entered the school early, the anticipation of the days' events sending thrills through her body. She headed for the main office, where she was not surprised to find Cheryl Blossom decked out head to toe in red and high fashion, not unlike herself. Cheryl merely gave Veronica a small glance and nod of approval before her gaze shifted behind Veronica and she turned menacing.

"Hey! Idiots! Be careful with those!" Cheryl barked the orders and they echoed in the small space. Veronica turned and stepped back just in time to avoid being clocked in the face by a large cardboard box being carried by members of the Bulldog football team. One by one the boys came in and roughly placed the boxes at Cheryl's feet, the boy who nearly dropped his box in the hallway had the evil eye fixed on him by Cheryl and all but ran from the room.

Veronica stepped forward to examine the boxes. She carefully peeled back the flaps at the top, which were hanging open without any tape and peered inside. It was basically overflowing with perfectly cut red roses. Veronica picked one up between two of her fingers, raised it to her face and gave it a small twirl. Beautiful. But still not my taste. She placed it back in the box and looked over at Cheryl, who was holding a brown expanding folder in one hand and way too much ribbon in the other.

"Do you have enough?" Veronica whispered, more to herself than Cheryl.

Cheryl huffed loudly. "Of course we do. The rose bushes at Thistle House are more than capable of meeting the flower needs of the student body of Riverdale High, Lodge." Cheryl threw at Veronica venomously, rolling her eyes.

Veronica raised her eyebrows at the attitude. "Just checking…." She trailed off, with a side glance at Cheryl.

"Whatever, let's just do this." Cheryl said, her tone much softer, a bit of defeat creeping into her features. So, the girls spent the morning laying out the heart-shaped cards the students had filled out when they paid for the flower so Veronica and Cheryl would know which student it was supposed to be delivered to. Both girls had silently agreed that they would deliver each other's roses because it would look ridiculous to not be handed any roses simply because they put on the event.

A fair number of students had signed up, enough to please Cheryl that she could afford her dream wardrobe budget for the musical, of which she was, of course, vying for the lead role. She and Veronica had taken turns manning the sign-up table over the past week just inside the main entrance, to maximize the number of students who signed up. The only familiar face she saw was Jughead, and she tried and failed to suppress her giggle at the glare he sent her while writing a sweet note to Betty. She also had to practically pry the five dollars from her fingers, but once Veronica mentioned how happy Betty would be to get the rose, Jughead relented with a defeated sigh. That boy is so whipped.

A few hours later it was time for Veronica's third-period chemistry class. Betty, Jughead, Archie, Reggie, Cheryl, Toni and some other serpents were all in the same class together. Betty and Jughead were seated in the front row of tables with some other students, Veronica and Archie sat behind them with Reggie and Cheryl partnered next to them. The serpents sat in the back row together, their presence finally filling in the class. Although Veronica noticed that Toni was absent. Veronica and Cheryl each carried a small box of roses into the classroom and came to stand behind their teachers' desk. Dr. Beaker had decided that the roses could be passed out in the beginning of class, to minimize the distraction. Also, the students were just taking notes today, so there was no danger of the roses catching fire.

After all the students had filtered into the room and Dr. Beaker had finished roll call, he gestured to the girls to begin. Veronica flashed a bright smile to her classmates before reaching for the first rose in her hands. Flipping the card open, she realized it was for Betty, from Jughead. As she called her best friends name, Betty's face broke into an ethereal smile as she glanced at Jughead before coming up to grab the rose. Jughead did his best not to blush as his fellow serpents clapped and hollered, before being quieted by Dr. Beaker.

Cheryl and Veronica took turns passing out the roses until Veronica's box was empty. She hadn't yet received a rose, thank god, but a quick glance at Cheryl's box told her Cheryl had a bunch left to give out. Veronica tried to hide her frown at the uneven distribution. Typical Cheryl. Keeping the spotlight on her.

"Alright everyone, this is the last rose," Cheryl revealed, slowly glancing around the room before smirking at Veronica. Cheryl suddenly pulled a remainder of the roses from the box and it appeared to be a bouquet, tied with a red ribbon. "To Ronnie. Love, Archiekins." Cheryl read the card aloud, a devilish smirk on her face. Veronica blinked back the shock at both the bouquet and the use of her name. She looked to Archie, searching for an answer to this shocking turn of events, but he simply flashed her his proud school grin. Veronica closed her mouth and swallowed thickly, her brow furrowing in confusion. She told Archie she didn't like red roses.

The room was silent as the moments ticked by, Veronica feeling humiliated under the pressure, as she turned to carefully accept the makeshift bouquet from Cheryl, who clapped her hands quickly and found her seat. Veronica forced a bright smile on her face as Archie continued to beam at her and even Betty offered a small smile as the gesture, looking between the two. Jughead rolled his eyes and looked back down at his book. As Dr. Beaker cleared his throat next to her, Veronica quickly moved her feet forward and took her seat next to Archie in the middle row. She flashed him a practiced smile, a bit of pity in her eyes that she knew he would mistake for admiration. Veronica placed the bouquet down on the table in between them, and readjusted herself on the chair so her heels wouldn't bang against the metal support bar underneath her.

Archie leaned in towards her, his letterman jacket falling open and the leather sleeve brushing across the tabletop loudly. "Happy Valentine's Ronnie. I heard what you said about everyone getting a rose, so I got you a whole bunch to show I support you," Archie whispered lowly, trying to grab her hand, but Veronica reached them up to adjust her hair and pearls quickly, taking her time and not looking him in the eye. You heard me but you didn't listen.

She was saved from a response when Dr. Beaker called for the room to settle down and class to begin. She flashed Archie another award-winning fake smile, and busied herself with looking through her textbook while Archie did the same, none the wiser. But inside, Veronica was crushed. She and Archie had been in a good place after her confirmation. And Archie had even asked her if she wanted him to buy her a rose and she said no. And he didn't listen. It was so frustrating. She put in all this work to help unite the school and picked the perfect outfit and her boyfriend couldn't listen to one thing she said? On the most romantic day of the year? It's like he doesn't know me after all. One step forward, two steps back.

Veronica sighed deeply and tried to focus on the lesson. She was determined to not let this day be ruined just because of some roses. I don't need that added stress. The class continued for about fifteen minutes, when there was a loud knock on the door. It swung open to reveal the familiar figure of Toni Topaz, although her face was slightly obscured by the massive existence of a colorful bunch of flowers.

Toni walked into the room carefully and said to Dr. Beaker, "Sorry I'm late. I was in the main office getting my tardy slip and these were sitting on the table. Ms. O'Leary asked if I would bring them to their rightful owner." She grasped the stems of the red, white and purple flowers in her long fingers, careful not to crush the petals, as the room remained stunned in silence.

"Alright, who are they for?" Dr. Beaker asked, a bit bewildered. Toni reached one hand over to open the attached card, which Veronica missed entirely because she was entranced by the colors. Toni's next words made Veronica's heart stop.

"For Veronica Lodge," Toni revealed, glancing up to catch Veronica's eye. "From your secret admirer." Toni finished, a slight but impressed smirk on her lips and a teasing glint in her eye, as she walked forward to hand the flowers off before taking her seat in the back row.

Veronica's eyes visibly widened at Toni's words and she reached out almost on autopilot to grab the bouquet. Secret admirer? She didn't have a secret admirer. Her mouth dropped open as she placed the flowers between the fingers, gripping the bottoms of the stems to keep the group together with her left as she touched the soft petals with her right. She tilted her head to examine the petals more closely, seeing the true blending of the colors from red to purple to white on one strand and just purple to white on another. The third strand was nearly all red, but the colors were fainter, like it was still growing.

It was a Sweet Pea flower. The flowers were beautifully fragrant, the intense but uniquely pleasant smell engulfing her nostrils. Her summer holiday in Greece had taught her that the flower came from the Greek word "lathyros" which meant "pulse" or "pea." Veronica also knew that this particular flower was a symbol of delicate or blissful pleasure. What a thing to receive on the most romantic day of the year.

Veronica could not take her eyes off of the beauty in front of her. Boy with this a surprise, and she was loving it. She quickly looked to Archie, fully intending to thank her boyfriend for his wonderful surprise, and silently decided she would make it up to him for cursing him to high heaven in her mind for the past half hour. But one glance at Archie's face made the growing smile on Veronica's face drop. Archie was eyeing the flowers in her hands with confusion, his brows knitted together, his lips in a thin line, as he shot her a furtive look as they made eye contact. Stumped by this reaction, Veronica quickly looked around the room, noting that no one else seemed to have moved past the surprise of this unexpected delivery either.

Betty had a sweet smile on her face, her hands placed gently over her heart, as though it would burst from the cuteness. Jughead had one hand on her shoulder but appeared to be sending a questionable gaze towards Archie. Cheryl's lips were pursed and the second Veronica caught her eye she flipped her red locks over her shoulder to cover her face as she sighed and pretended to be busy reading. Even Reggie was quiet, his mouth hanging a bit open before he noticed her glance and traded his gaping mouth for a sly smirk.

"Nice one, Andrews," he quipped, leaning his head over the table a bit so Archie would hear him over Cheryl, who immediately pushed him back away from her. Reggie stumbled a bit, catching his footing at the last moment as to not fall off the stool and righted his letterman jacket as he resumed his seat. Archie still hadn't said anything.

"Thanks Archie," she said gently as she placed one hand on his upper arm. He quickly blinked, and then gave her a small smile. "I mean it, that you for listening. I adore these," she continued her eyes moving back to the lovely flowers in front of her, as she caressed his arm a bit before moving it back to the softness of the flower petals.

As Veronica's gaze continued to be drawn to the unexpected surprise under her fingers, he faintly heard a bit of movement behind her, and Toni seemed to be having a bit of a coughing fit. "Alright, settle down, let's get back to learning about molecules," Dr. Beaker announced to the class, and without another word, class resumed as normal. Veronica returned to taking notes but every few minutes her eyes would drift from the notes on the blackboard to the flower next to her, as though drawn by a magnet. She knew that while the Sweet Pea flower was beautiful, the petals could be deadly, a sort of mask to entice the unsuspecting closer while striking stealthily under the radar. There was a sort of mystery to the flower, it's outside gorgeous and well kept, but when you look closer you can sense the real power it has. A mysterious flower for a mysterious woman.

All too soon it seemed, the bell for the next period rang and everyone quickly started gathering their belongings, while Dr. Beaker frantically yelled their homework assignment over the chaotic noise. Veronica packed up her things but hesitated once she reached for the flower, unsure of what she wanted to do with it. It seemed to pretty to stash in her locker for the rest of the day, but she didn't want to crush it by carrying it around in the hallways.

"V, let's go, if we're late for gym again, you know Ms. Clark will make us run," Betty rushed out in her direction while swinging her backpack over her shoulder. She nearly collided with the tall serpent from the back row as he hurried out of the room, but Jughead gripped Betty's arm and pulled her back just in time, to avoid being pushed to the floor.

"Hey! Watch it, Sweet Pea!" Jughead yelled after him, before whispering to Betty and checking that she was alright.

Sweet Pea?! Veronica's eyes snapped up sharply at the door to the classroom, just in time to see the back of the tall serpent's head move out of sight down the hallway. Her mouth dropped open in shock and she nearly dropped the flower in her hands, quickly gripping it tighter when she felt it slipping. Her eyes once again moved over the brightly colored petals, watching how the colors seemed to bleed together as the petals moved around faster at her bobble. It can't be.

It was too much of a coincidence for him to have the same name as the flower. Even for Riverdale. And when Veronica really thought about it, the card did say secret admirer. Not Archie. Not your Archiekins. Not your boyfriend. Your secret admirer. Veronica swallowed, a think lump forming in her throat as her mind raced a mile a minute at this new implication. Archie hadn't denied sending the flowers, but he also didn't confirm it. Oh my god.

And with him being a serpent, Jughead would definitely know his name. Sweet Pea. She thought back to when she first saw him, towering in Archie's doorway, clearly looking for a fight and the night at the Whyte Wyrm, leaning against the wall giving her that smoldering look and the confidence to be her true self. She thought about his dark but intense eyes gazing at her as she challenged him to follow the rules at Archie's. She thought about his olive skin as she ran her fingers in between the petals, the softness calming her racing heart. Whenever she saw him, he was this intimidating and handsome figure, commanding a space with a simple stance of a meaningful look. He was beautiful on the outside and tough on the inside. Like a Sweet Pea flower. Veronica gasped openly at that implication, the reality of her gift hitting her in a flash, no longer in denial.

"Ronnie, you coming?" Archie quipped from the open door, looking at her in mild confusion. "Yea, sorry," Veronica offered clutching the flowers into one hand and her books in the other. She looked down at the flowers as she walked to the door, careful to keep them supported without crushing their beauty. She was struck suddenly by how much she enjoyed the feeling they gave her, the happiness at not only the unexpected gift, but the implication from its sender. An excited smile crept onto her face, a hint of fire lighting behind her eyes as the stress of the day and the fundraiser faded and was quickly replaced with contentment. As she raced down the hall as fast as her heels would allow her, Veronica knew he would be the only thing on her mind the rest of the day.

For the first time in his young life, Sweet Pea actually looked forward to going to school. Of course, he would pummel anyone who mentioned anything about him actually enjoying school, after the shithole that was Southside High, Riverdale High was like a palace. Brand new textbooks, vending machines, bathrooms with doors and running water, a real gym, hot girls and yeah, he had to deal with sharing the space with northsiders, but it was worth it. Although it felt weird to ride his bike without his trademark Serpent jacket, it wasn't worth getting suspended for. Even Fangs backed me up on that. Sweet Pea drove silently into the parking lot of the school, and pulled into a space next to Toni's bike.

He bounded up the stairs of the school, weaving around the students who were already giving him a bit of a wide berth, and Sweet Pea was secretly thrilled he was still able to intimidate others by his size, not just by his jacket. He reached up a ran a hand through his unruly dark hair, pushing it back off his face, as he adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag and heading off in the direction of the student lounge.

Sweet Pea liked the student lounge because it gave him and the other serpents a place to meet in the mornings, without being forced into a classroom like they were when they had to be in Jughead's Serpents and Swords club. He could just chill with Fangs and Toni, eat as many snacks as he wanted since he figured out how to rig the vending machine, and have a quiet place to do his chemistry homework. Never thought I'd have that.

Sweet Pea was pleased when he walked into the room and smirked when he discovered he was the first one there. He narrowed his eyes slowly, glancing around for Topaz or Fangs in the hallways, but one of the other students gave him any notice. It made some sense, as Fangs was usually late to school or MIA in the mornings for his own reasons. Topaz was probably stalking that Blossom chick, looking for an angle. Excellent. Time to feast, Sweet Pea thought as she headed over to the vending machine to select his snacks and eat like a king.

With another glance around, Sweet Pea faced the vending machine and pulled out a worn five-dollar bill from his pocket. This bill was like any ordinary bill, except it had a piece of tape on one end, which held a white string about a foot long off the end of it. Sweet Pea carefully placed the regular end of the dollar into the slot with both hands, waiting for the machine to take it. The dollar soon disappeared into the slot, the string following, but still hanging out, which Sweet Pea gripped in his left hand. Once his eyes saw the dollar amount flash on the small screen, Sweet Pea deftly pulled the string down and watched the dollar slide back out, as he took it in his left hand and punched in the code for his favorite chips. This is too easy.

Sweet Pea repeated this motion once more, until he had a few options for breakfast including mini hostess cupcakes, a sticky bun, and some skittles. He soon grabbed what looked like an egg salad sandwich from the second vending machine which held actual food like sandwiches and wraps, and a Coke from the drink machine, before plopping down on the nearest chair. Rich kids and their food options. He just shook his head as he looked down at his selections, grateful for the food but still pissed the northsiders got everything good. He opened the can of coke and nearly downing it all in one gulp, throwing his head back before lightly crushing the can and tossing it into the nearby trash, where it landed cleanly. 3 pointer.

Sweet Pea put the skittles in his bag for later, hoping the sugar would keep him awake during algebra class, which of course was his last class of the day. He finished off the cupcakes and sticky bun, licking his fingers loudly which drew the irritated side glances from the other students that had started to trickle into the room. He was about halfway through the egg salad sandwich when he heard Fangs plop down in a nearby chair, nodding a bit at him in greeting. Topaz entered a few moments after, her usual face of irritation present as she trudged over to them in the back of the room.

"Want to hear the latest?" Toni questioned, throwing her bag down at her feet as she placed her hands on her hips. Sweet Pea and Fangs just shrugged in response.

"They are selling flowers for 5 dollars to raise money for some school play," Toni replied, with her trademark eye roll, tossing her hands up at the audacity of the idea, her face truly unimpressed.

"Seriously?" Fangs asked, a tone of disbelief in his voice, as he stroked his chin slowly.

"Yeah, that Lodge girl is running it apparently. She thinks participating will help us show support for our new school," she continued, with a pointed look and a judgmental tone. Toni took a seat opposite Sweet Pea and started examining her nails closely. Sweet Pea finished his sandwich and pulled out his chemistry textbook from his bag. The talking portion of their morning was clearly over, as Toni was fixing her nails and Fangs was watching two other kids get way too excited about playing foosball.

Sweet Pea leaned back in the chair with a deep sigh and placed the chemistry book in his lap, slimming the pages quickly but taking in all the information easily. Chemistry was always an easy subject for him, thankfully. But the teachers at Southside were so terrible he and all the others transfers were so far behind in classes, it just gave some of the Bulldogs another reason to mock them. Sweet Pea would've knocked that happy smirk right off Reggie's face by now if he thought he could get away with it. He never imagined he would find another northsider more annoying than Andrews.

He quickly propped the textbook up on his knees, thinking he could maybe catch a few minutes of sleep if everyone else that he was reading. But it was that brief moment before he decided to close his eyes when his gaze was drawn to a fast movement across the room. The passionate storm that was Veronica Lodge has entered the lounge, her head held high, a confident smile on her face and of course a perfectly rich outfit to go with her regular pearls. They were a part of her, like her skin, the same way his jacket was his skin. They were always the first thing he noticed about her.

He swallowed a breath before glancing back at Toni and Fangs, before focusing his gaze on her the same way he had when she sang at the Whyte Wyrm. She was perched on the edge of the couch, explaining the fundraiser Toni mentioned to her friends with a tone of practiced excitement. He could hear Jughead ranting about the fakeness of Valentine's Day and how the man was trying to destroy romance with money or something like that, and it was all he could do to suppress an eye roll. Dude has some issues, clearly. The more time Sweet Pea spent with Jughead, the more he realized just how unlike FP he seemed to be. FP was calculated and calm, always getting right to the point and solving the problem. Jughead was a confrontational little shit who spoke without thinking. But damn was he clever. Sweet Pea and Jughead had their differences, but they had each other's backs now, always, and that loyalty was all that really mattered anymore.

It was Veronica's surprising admission of her dislike of red roses that jarred him from his thoughts. Of course, the mob princess is picky about her flowers. Which a rich people problem. Sweet Pea's eyes focused on her face, watching as she animatingly explained why she hated receiving a red rose so much. If Sweet Pea was honest, her logic made sense. Not everyone wants something that everyone else gets. Or has, in his case. He found himself mentally agreeing with her about red roses not really meaning anything. When he saw them he just thought of Valentine's Day, so the advertisements for them must really work. Not that he would ever admit that, or be subjected to an infamous Jughead Jones rant about needing to damn the man.

He couldn't see a girl like Veronica being surprised easily. She was a girl who could clearly have anything she wanted, by the looks of her clothes. Money was never an issue for her. Not getting a flower seemed insignificant, although Sweet Pea could tell her instinct to unite the students through participation was genuine, based on her conviction alone. Loyalty is no joke to her.

When he heard Andrews ask her if she wanted a rose, he made to fake a cough to stifle his laughter. What a dumbass. Sweet Pea brought a fist up to his mouth to cover his laughter, and clear his throat lowly. He smirked at Veronica's attempt to explain her thoughts again, and as she leaned down to close the height gap between them, it looked like she was speaking slowly to a misbehaving child.

His eyes darkened as he watched her walk back towards the hallway, her skirt swishing a bit behind her, and the noise of her heels echoing after her. She appeared to be so consumed with this fundraiser and her family's business that she probably wasn't expecting anyone to send her flowers. Except for Andrews, but he'll probably buy her roses to prove he's supporting her. So predictable. How does she put up with that? She was a woman who liked a challenge and he was going to give her one.

He moved his eyes back to his textbook and continued reading the chapter. He ran a hand through his hair, to move the curl that had fallen in his eyes, distracted by the plan forming in his mind. Based on her interactions just now, Veronica Lodge needed something new and different. And he knew just how to deliver.

The day before Valentine's Day, Sweet Pea was feeling the pressure. While he had noticed Veronica's passion and fire, he had underestimated her ability to be all seeing and all knowing. A table had been set up near the front doors of the school to encourage students to buy red roses, but whenever he got near the table, she seemed to be standing behind it. That would ruin the surprise.

He hopped off his bike and headed up the stairs of the school, just in time to see Veronica helping two students fill out cards, showing them where to write the message to the recipient happily as she held their money in her hands. He hurried through the door and brushed past the table, not making eye contact. Maybe I can get Topaz to slip one for me. She wouldn't ask too many questions. He smiled to himself as he gripped his shoulder bag and headed off towards the lounge. He was a bit disappointed to discover she wasn't there, since he's shown up a bit late to school, with Fangs even beating him here. Maybe she's off stalking that Blossom chick.

He was quickly proven wrong though, when said Blossom chick entered the lounge and made a beeline for the drink machine, yelling at students to remove themselves from her path. Sweet Pea leaned his shoulder against the open door of the lounge, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing the redhead with a pathetic stare. The things privilege does to women in this town.

He was developing a mental list of all the things he despised about Cheryl Blossom, when he caught the words she was currently shouting at a blonde girl who had the courage to question her.

"I have to stand at that fundraising table with a fake smile and beg you people to buy roses to support love and school spirit," she screamed with a venomous gleam in her eyes. "And I refuse to do that while being parched," she finished, her voice returning to a normal level as she flashed a smirk, tossed her long hair over her shoulder and stalked from the room.

Sweet Pea followed her out, but not too closely. He figured the best time to swipe a card was when the girls were switching shifts. They would be distracted. He tried to keep his footsteps light, his think motorcycle boots always heavy on the ground, and thankfully the other students knew better than to make eye contact. If anyone stopped him, he'd just glare menacingly until they slinked away. Just another day in northsider territory.

Sweet Pea paused a few feet away from the table and pretended to busy himself with a locker. He watched Veronica notice Cheryl, give her a practiced smile and hand her the cash box. Veronica took a breath and then walked the other way down the hall, towards the gymnasium, getting lost from his vision in a sea of students. A quick glance at Cheryl told him the redhead was too preoccupied with her phone to notice him. She grabbed the cash box in one hand and turned her back on the table to take a phone call, her displeasure evident on her face. This is going to be easy, he thought with a smirk.

But Sweet Pea nearly ate his words moments later, when he nonchalantly walked up to the table, his right hand poised to snag a card, when he spotted Topaz smirking at him from the steps of the school. He moved his hand away and up into his hair smoothly, like he planned to do that anyway. She was now standing on the top step, her small figure made more minuscule by the large entrance, her hands on her black skirt covered hips, her green eyes glowing with silent laughter. He glanced back at a still distracted Cheryl and then shot Toni a death glare, complete with a very visible jaw clench.

"Whatcha doing there, Sweets?" Toni teased, gesturing at the table with her index finger, her eyebrows raised with the knowing answer. He knew he had been caught red-handed, but he was not about to give in to Topaz.

Instead, he sauntered up to her slowly, crossing his arms and mirroring her stance, his eyes never leaving hers as his lips turned up in a small smile. "Looking for you actually," he revealed swallowing the truth easily. I figured you'd be stalking bitchy Barbie, over there," Sweet Pea teased, his smile growing, bearing his teeth as he tilted his head over towards where Cheryl stood.

Toni's smirk froze on her face, her eyes widening as her hands formed fists and she chanced a glance at Cheryl's back which was thankfully still turned. After a beat of them staring each other down, Toni replied, "You're one to judge. Swiping a card that would no doubt be addressed to a certain mob princess?" she finished with a hint of a question in her voice, her eyes staying eerily innocent when his smile dropped instantly. What the hell?

Sweet Pea's arms drooped to his side and he narrowed his eyes, his stance indicating he was preparing to strike. Watch it, Topaz. The message was clear. With a dramatic eye roll, Toni scoffed and shrugged him off. "Oh relax, Pea. I've just seen you staring at her when you're pretending to read your chemistry textbook," she revealed lightly, no judgment in her demeanor. "By the way, you want to eye stalk a northsider? Fine, I can't stop you, but you could choose a different textbook every day to leer at her over, or at least turn a page once in a while," she finished, a hint of pity in her eyes. Shit. He thought he was being careful. He gulped down the lump in his throat at her words, desperately hoping she wouldn't notice.

"What about you, huh? You've been eyeing the vampire queen over there since the drag race," he whispered, leaning down over her head. "You send her a flower and maybe you'll stop following her down every hallway like a dog," he finished, gritting his teeth, before putting back a bit.

He didn't miss the small stomp of her foot or the green flash of her nails as she swept her pink hair over her shoulders and examined her fingers once again. "Oh please," she started, not looking him in the eye. "I have standards. Besides she's not exactly girlfriend material," she finished, finally fixing him with a withering stare which made him scoff lightly and did nothing to improve her mood.

He glanced back to Cheryl, who was finishing up her phone call and returning to the table, not sparing them a glance. Sweet Pea rounded on Toni and leaned in close. "That was my chance. Now you owe me, Topaz," he whispered. He noticed a hint of disappointment in her eyes as she watched Cheryl, who by now was actively ignoring their proximity to her.

Sweet Pea walked into his trailer after school, still pissed about Topaz's interference with his plans earlier in the morning. He sat down on the aging yellow couch and tossed his bag to the side, leaning back slowly before fixing his gaze on the ceiling. There was no way he was going to get another shot like that. He needed a plan B. There was no way he could swipe a card now, with tomorrow being the dreaded holiday. Besides, how would he get it back to them filled out and unnoticed? He hadn't really thought that through.

Sweet Pea blew out a breath and closed his eyes tight. He tried to remember Veronica's words in the student lounge. About how there so no thought put into a red rose and that doesn't tell someone anything about them. Or then they have money and bought a generic flower in a store. With just a few hours to go, Sweet Pea knew he was running out of time. He was committed to this now, having invested way too much time thinking about Veronica's reaction to getting a flower. And Topaz will never let me live to down.

He opened his eyes and gazed out of the window to his right, staring at the grass for a few moments before getting up to use the restroom. Afterwards, he looked in the mirror and tried to give himself a mental pep talk. This was a challenge he had brought on himself. Serpents don't back away from a fight or show cowardice. Topaz would be the only one who knew if he didn't follow through, but still. It's about the principle.

As he walked back out to the couch to wallow, he stopped short when he heard the wind howling against the window, his neighbor's wind chimes clanging loudly across the way. His eyes immediately moved to glare at them, and then he noticed a window box full of white flowers sitting on the deck of the stairs of the trailer. As he stared at them, he realized just how rarely he noticed flowers. Strange really, given the amount of time he's usually staring at the ground.

His memory of flowers was entirely tied to his grandmother, a tough but sweet old woman who grew more flowers inside her house that out. The flower she always had most of was Sweet Peas. That was how he got his nickname. She was the first person to ever call him Sweet Pea, and at some point, whenever he was asked his name that's what he answered with, not caring to reveal the same name as the man who abandoned him before his birth. No one ever asked why he was called that or where it came from, which Sweet Pea always thanked his intimidating stature for.

My little Sweet Pea. That was the only name he really remembered his grandmother ever calling him when he was growing up. He recalled her telling him that the Sweet Pea was her favorite flower, and always had plenty of them growing around her little house. As a child, he was kind of bummed about being nicknamed after a flower, but she had told him once that seeing him brought her as much happiness as the flowers, and having them both in the same room was like heaven. He vividly remembered sitting on her worn yellow floral couch one summer afternoon, sipping some lemonade she had made him, as he watched her water the flowers while talking animatingly to encourage them to grow.

Sweet Pea always sat in her house and listened to his grandmother speak, telling her fun stories and talking to her flowers, but he was usually silent. He would always be engaged with her stories, nodding his head, flashing a wide grin, or scrunching his face up when he was confused which always made her laugh out loud. Occasionally, she would pause during a story and tell him he was a good listener. The strong and silent type. Guess not much has changed, unless I'm really pissed. He had been nervous to ask her, but in the end, he was glad he did. When Sweet Pea asked his grandmother why she liked that flower so much, and she turned her attention to him before walking over and grasping both of his hands. She had given him a gentle smile and revealed that she loved the flowers because they were beautiful on the outside, but tough on the inside. The petals held beautiful flower but they were poisonous if ingested. It was both beautiful and tough. Just like him.

To this day, his grandmother was the only woman to give him a flower on Valentine's Day. She should let him pick a flower out and she would give it to him, clutching it in his hands until the petals were wilted, showing a different type of beauty.

Breaking from his trip down memory lane, he stomped down the hallway to his room and snatched his Serpent jacket. He threw it on as he dashed out the door, almost running towards his bike to get to the Whyte Wyrm, where he knew Topaz was tending bar. He needed a drink to deal with this shit. She owed him for ruining his chance and now she was going to make it up to him.

Sweet Pea casually walked into school on Valentine's Day and made his usual walk down to the student lounge. He had slept in today, his night at the Whyte Wyrm with Topaz had turned late when Fangs showed up already half in the bag, choosing to drown away the knowledge that Valentine's Day was the end of his last failed relationship nearly a year ago. Sweet Pea glanced towards the main office and was not surprised to see Veronica and Cheryl busying themselves with arranging the cards and roses for everyone. Today was the big day.

He let his eyes wander over Veronica's appearance, taking him the expected expensive dress with a rather deep shade of red and of course, her pearls. Always wearing her pearls. Take those away and who is she? The same fierce woman, just without her outermost layer of armor. Same with him and his jacket. Still lethal in all types of ways.

He forced his gaze away and continued into the lounge, knowing he wouldn't have to worry about a teasing smile from Topaz. Fangs was too busy sleeping off his hangover on the nearby couch to care what was happening. As Sweet Pea sat there quietly, he imagined Veronica's face when she received her surprise. He knew his idea would work, passing himself off as a stranger, and according to Jughead she didn't even know his name. Not that he asked, that was just the random and useless information Jones sometimes provided.

When third period rolled around, Sweet Pea walked to Chemistry with Fangs hanging off of one arm, the guy determined to make it through the day. They passed that Keller kid in the hallway and he appeared to be the only one genuinely concerned when he saw Fangs, stopping and opening his mouth to ask the obvious question.

"He's fine, man" Sweet Pea spoke quickly, the surprise of his words evident on Kevin's face, who simply closed his mouth, nodded, shot a sympathetic look at Fangs and continued on. Entering the classroom, Sweet Pea noticed she wasn't there yet, and got Fangs situated and waited, drumming his fingers against the tabletop to calm his nerves. Why was he nervous? He had this in the bag. Surprise her without her even knowing what happened. He couldn't wait. He smiled a bit to himself as he looked up to notice her finally entering the room with Cheryl.

After the roll was called, he watched with mild interest as the girls took turns passing out the roses. To his complete surprise, Fangs got one. The three of them agreed not to give each other roses, since if they wanted to exchange flowers with each other they could just go pick some. There was no way Topaz would break that and send Fangs one and not him. No way. So, this was a complete mystery to him. Need to pay more attention clearly.

When Cheryl placed the rose in front of him, Fangs took it with a small nod at her, turned the rose over in his hand, checked the note with a tiny smile and then gently placed it inside his bag. As if sensing Sweet Pea's confused stare, Fangs just shrugged and laid his head in his crossed arms on the tabletop. Huh. That's was unexpected. Topaz probably knows what's up.

Sweet Pea looked back to the front of the room and watched Veronica's face closely. Although he liked sitting in the back, he never really got to look at her face since she was seated almost in front of him. And he was tall enough to see over her. She looked rather disappointed when her box was empty, and for the life of him Sweet Pea couldn't figure out why. She didn't want a rose.

He was proven correct moments later when Cheryl pulled a whole bouquet of roses from her box and turned to Veronica with a sinister smile. Oh fuck. Those are from Andrews. He watched in tense silence as Cheryl read out the card and Veronica continued to look more and more disheartened with every word. Archiekins?! Really? He could feel the shit eating grin on Andrews' face without even glancing his way. He watched Veronica painfully accept the flowers from Cheryl and move towards her seat, her usual mask of happy emotion on her face.

And there it was. That perfect fake smile. The one he hated seeing on her face. Sweet Pea watched the sadness grow behind Veronica's eyes as she smiled back at Archie, a well-practiced line of thank you leaving her lips, complete with a delicate hand over her heart as she looked from him to her red rose.

Sweet Pea tried to tune out Archie's over the top explanation for the bouquet, knowing Veronica would see right through his actions and realize he didn't actually listen to her. Without seeing her face, Sweet Pea could feel the wave of disappointment radiating from her body, her shoulder slumped slightly, eyes focused on the table in front of her. Remaining stoic to survive for the rest of the class until she could get away. It was in this moment that Sweet Pea knew he made the right call. Sending her a flower wasn't necessarily about the challenge anymore, it was about seeing her real, genuine smile back on her face, and the fiery spirit back in her heart. Just hold one a bit longer Veronica.

For Sweet Pea, the next half an hour of the class went by slower than a tortoise. Sweet Pea kept glancing up at the clock every few seconds, bouncing his leg on the floor and trying to focus on the notes on the blackboard, but getting distracted by Veronica's dark hair. Where the hell was Topaz? Sweet Pea was about to wake Fangs and ask him, when the classroom door swung open. Toni confidently stepped into the room, holding the beautiful Sweet Pea flower he could recognize anywhere. Finally.

Sweet Pea tried to stop the large grin from moving over his lips, a silence fell over the other students. He watched with amusement as the others reacted to Toni's out loud reading of the card, her eyes never leaving Veronica's, not even to smirk at him, which he appreciated.

His gaze never left Veronica's, watching in earnest as she saw her sit up straight, the genuine shock of the moment covering her features. He didn't miss the way her eyes softened when she touched the petals of the flower with her delicate hands. Her eyes carefully moving over every inch of the flower, taking in its true beauty. She all but breathed in the flower, its calming effect clear as Veronica gazed in wonder as the different colors nearly bleeding into the innocent white between them. She looked happy. She looked like the flower actually meant something to her. When she spoke, he listened.

She almost appeared to recognize it, as her eyes lit up with glee, taking in the beautiful colors meant to draw her in closer, while she still kept her distance, almost sensing its more lethal hidden appearance. Just like her. Sweet Pea mentally high fived himself. The answer to his dilemma had been so simple and it had come from his heart. He had enjoyed the challenge of it, but he enjoyed the rewards of listening to her words more. He couldn't look away from Veronica's face. The deep affection she was feeling apparent in her face, her spirit and her heart. He didn't care if Topaz made fun of him for the rest of his life, he couldn't look away from her. From how he made her feel in that moment.

A moment which wasn't even ruined when she turned to Andrews. He saw her smile falter as she looked to her friends, none of them cluing her into who her secret admirer was. The moment was ruined when Mantle opened his dumb mouth, thanking Andrews for surprising Veronica like that. Clearly, I didn't knock him down hard enough last time. Still no sense.

Sweet Pea balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth as Archie appeared to take credit for his surprise. Sweet Pea saw red for a moment, when he chanced a glance at Andrews, before realizing just how terrible of a liar the jock really was. Veronica will see right through that, he thought with a smirk.

To Sweet Pea's astonishment, Veronica seemed to actually believe him. If she's bothered to look his way, she would have seen the real look of shock on his face, mixed with the disgust that she could fall for a petty trick like that. Well, she was back with Andrews. But still. That guy clearly couldn't listen to her.

Sweet Pea fixed his gaze back on Veronica's head to calm his temper. He was momentarily distracted when Topaz started nudging him with her elbow, a pleading look on her face at his lack of quip or interaction to stop the absolute train wreck that they were forced to watch. After being quieted by the teacher, the class continued on. Sweet Pea's mood only improved slightly when he caught Veronica turn her head slightly to gaze at the Sweet Pea flower, her admiration for it still clear as day. He felt a happiness move into his chest at her smile but forced it down when he remembered she thought it was a gift from Andrews. He needed to get out of this room.

Finally, the class ended and he gathered up his books and all but bolted out the door. He nearly took down Betty Cooper on his way out, since she wasn't looking where he was going, and he was sure he'd get an earful from Jughead about it later. Sweet Pea moved down the hallway, clenching his jaw quickly in deep thought. He decided that the best way to deal with his anger would be to pummel Reggie Mantle into the ground during basketball drills. Yeah, he was the cause of his anyway. Him and his big mouth. The one even the southside girls knew to stay away from.

Sweet Pea thrust open the main doors of the school and kept his gaze on the ground as he walked over to his bike. He wasn't nearly as pissed as he was during third period, but it still hurt. How could she think Andrews sent her that? Seriously. Fuck that guy. Sweet Pea straddled his bike and took a deep breath to calm himself. He was trying to decide if he should just go right to the Wyrm and get hammered or if he wanted to be alone with his thoughts more. Always such a masochist.

At that moment, he noticed a flash of bright light in front of him and looked up quickly, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. There was a small red piece of paper, shaped like a heart, sitting on his left handlebar, with something shiny sticking out of it, moving a bit in the light wind. Reaching his left hand forward slowly, Sweet Pea gripped the edges of the folded paper and leaned forward to get a better look.

What he saw completely took his breath away. There in his hand, in between the folded paper was the iconic pearl strand of Veronica Lodge. And it was wrapped around a strand of the Sweet Pea flower he had given her. Holy shit.

Sweet Pea's jaw dropped as he let the pearls and flower fall into his open hand, the shock of this moment truly shaking him to his core. The movement of the flower and pearls revealed some sophisticated writing on the card and Sweet Pea's eyes were drawn to it. His eyes moved over every letter and pen motion, soaking up her words like they were feeding his soul and mending his heart.

Thanks for the "Sweet Pea" flower. You're a good listener. She had signed the note "your secret admirer, V" but Sweet Pea was distracted by the fact that the small letter V was written in between the incredibly clear imprint of red lips near the bottom of the note. Damn. So sexy.

Sweet Pea didn't even try to stop the huge smile from breaking out onto his face, his eyes wide and impressed. He realized that his reaction mirrored Veronica's when she saw his flowers and wished in that moment she was there to witness his reaction. Be careful what you wish for.

Sweet Pea continued to stare at the note and then the pearls and the flower, feeling as though if he looked away they might disappear. But then he sensed something else. Something newer, but just as familiar. Her. Looking up sharply, Sweet Pea scanned the parking lot for Veronica, his eyes quickly moving to the obvious black town car parked near the school steps. The princess's carriage. He didn't need to stare at the backseat window, which was completely tinted to mask whoever was inside, to know she was staring back at him.

His smile turned into a teasing smirk as he kept his gaze her way, but flinching at all when he saw her window roll about halfway down. There she was. Veronica was sitting there, her dark eyes hidden behind sunglasses, her gorgeous red dress clinging to her body. And no pearls.

Sweet Pea watched as Veronica leaned closer out of the window and reached one hand up to pull her sunglasses a bit down her nose. A genuine but sly smile appeared on her face, her pearly white teeth apparent, and the red of her lips and her nail polish making her skin have a vibrant glow. Sweet Pea continued to stare at her for a few more moments, determined not to break the gaze first, but she caught him off guard. Veronica winked at him. She really winked. He distinctly saw one eyelid close, her shoulder coming up briefly in a silent giggle, as her smile stayed frozen on her lips. Huh. She knew it was me. She played me.

He blinked to try and hid the shock of her true response, licking his lips, swallowing quickly to clear his throat and furrowing his brow a bit to be sure she wasn't messing with him. Veronica held her gaze and her smile didn't waver as she waited patiently for his response. Sweet Pea lowered his head just a fraction, so their dark eyes seemed more level across the parking lot, never looking away. As he did, his left hand curled around both the flowers and pearls in her hand, running his fingers over the smoothness of the pair, taking his time to familiarize himself with the texture which would not be leaving his possession anytime soon. He felt his lips tug up in a tight smirk, sending her his most smoldering gaze, one that told her he wasn't mad for her deception but she would pay for it later. And enjoy it.

He saw Veronica eyes visibly brightened at his response, a wave of real happiness glistening in her irises, a clear difference from the mask of positivity she wore like a shield at school. When he glanced down briefly at her blood red lips he realized her grin that gone from genuine to a Cheshire cat level of teeth-baring happiness and laughter, before she closed them tightly and fixed him with an equally smoldering stare, before slowly rolling up the car window and vanished from sight. A few moment later the car started moving away from him and he knew she had definitely thrown the ball back into his court. That little minx.

As he watched the black town car slowly roll away through the parking lot, he kept the now nearly predatory gaze on his face, just in case she was still watching through the tinted glass, and somehow Sweet Pea knew she was. His hand not cradling the pearls and flower gripped the handlebar tightly as he clenched his jaw and tried to quell the storm of lust coursing through his body. For a split second, he thought about following her out on his bike, but decided against it. Not my style. The princess can wait in her ivory tower and suffer a bit.

The second she was truly out of view, his gaze shifted back to the lone strand of pearls in his hand, gently wrapped in the flower of his namesake. So, she knew the flower. And that he had sent it to her. Her fingers ran over her handwriting, the tips of his index finger tracing the near-perfect lines of cursive, the small but confident words a wonderful reflection of the beautiful woman who had gifted them. He took a small breath and let a wave of calmness fall over him, a small smile on his face.

He felt his heart constrict at the emotions of the words good listener being applied to him again. He had never had someone figure out that he shared his name with a flower, although he always worried that it would be some obscure piece of knowledge that Jughead would know. But she had and she had given him the first real gift anyone had given him on Valentine's Day since his grandmother passed when he was 11. With one final glance over the pearls, Sweet Pea gently wrapped the intertwined flower strand a bit inside the note and carefully tucked it into his jacket pocket for safekeeping. He rode out of the parking lot with his head high, ready to take on the world, and knew that this was a Valentine's day both he and Veronica would never forget.


End file.
